How to Blend Your Makeup Seamlessly

You’ve heard it time and time again. The trick to makeup is that it looks natural — the “no makeup makeup look.” But that flawless look is impossible to achieve if foundation and blush lines are visible. Here’s how to blend your makeup seamlessly without a smudge or line in sight.

Eye Shadow
Never blend with the same brush you used to apply the shadow. Instead of blending, you’re just applying more shadow because there is still product on the brush. And if you’re working with more than one shade, i.e. a smoky eye, you are spreading all of the colors around the entire eye area. Instead, use a clean brush and blend by sweeping the brush back and forth in a large windshield wiping motion, followed by smaller circles.

Bronzer
When applying bronzer, never brush the product in a straight line. Instead Sephora Pro David Thibodeau recommends applying in soft, sweeping motions. This sculpts angles on the face, such as under the cheekbones and along the jaw line, without looking harsh.

Foundation
First prep your skin with a moisturizer and primer to create a flawless canvas. Then apply foundation with a damp sponge, such as the Beauty Blender Cosmetic Sponge ($28.95, sephora.com). Blend starting in the center of the face and work your way out. Apply the product by dabbing, not brushing across. This eliminates any lines along the forehead or jaw. Also, don’t forget to blend foundation into the neck for more realistic coverage.

Blush
While smiling, sweep a medium-size brush with powder blush from the apple of your cheek, up along your cheekbone and to the top of your ear. Again, make sure to always swirl the product so you don’t end up with harsh lines. An important tip to remember: skip the big powder brushes. The bigger the brush, the less your blush will register on the skin because it’s being applied to such a large surface area.